Frugal Living vs Extreme Frugal Living

Frugal living - making beans on the stove top. Extreme frugal living - making beans in a heatless cooker.

One search phrase that leads many readers to this blog is "extreme frugal living". I am not sure that is what I am doing here, but it is alright with me to be associated with such a concept. I am happy to have visitors that are looking to become more efficient in their use of Earth's gifts.

It is not surprising to me - everything has to be "extreme" these days in order to capture people's attention. The unwritten motto is, "Anything worth doing, is worth doing to the extreme". So you get extreme pretty much anything.

I am not sure what the exact difference is between frugal living and extreme frugal living, except the later must somehow be more frugal than the former. Maybe it is an ego/competition thing.

"I am frugaler than you are."

"No way, dude. I am the frugalist."

Frugality kind of seems like being pregnant. Either you are, or you aren't. However, it is hard to fault someone for wanting to continually improve their practice of living more lightly on this planet.

In trying to understand what separates the merely frugal from the more extreme variety, I share a few ideas that came to mind.


Frugal living is cutting your own hair.

Extreme frugal living is cutting your wife's hair.


Frugal living is buying discounted food.

Extreme frugal living is dumpster diving.


Frugal living is biking everywhere.

Extreme frugal living is walking everywhere (or deciding that there is nowhere to go because you are already where you need to be).


Frugal living is sleeping in a van.

Extreme frugal living is sleeping in a box car.


Frugal living is wearing the same clothes for a year.

Extreme frugal living is wearing the same cloths till they are threadbare, then making paper out of them.


Is it frugal living, or extreme frugal living? Or just being sensible? It depends on who you ask. Plus, what used to be the way we did things has become the new frugal as we adopt increasingly luxurious ways of living.

Darning socks? Once common, now frugal. Or even extremely frugal.

Either way, the more careful we are about spending money or using resources when not needed, the better it is for everyone.

Beam Me Up Off Planet War

Beam me up. Now. Please.

I just finished reading a book by war correspondent Chris Hedges called War Is A Force That Gives Us Meaning. It should be required reading for anyone that thinks violence and war are solutions for any problem.

While I do fantasize about being a Zen forest hermit from time to time, I am no misanthropist. I love people. All people.

But if aliens are observing our planet they must think we are nuts. Violent nuts. It must look like Planet War, or Planet Waste. Any species more intelligent than an amoeba would high tail it at the speed of light away from this burning orb. War is Hell, and that is no exaggeration.

The author's eye-witness stories didn't do much for my opinion of our species. It was difficult reading, and it will probably haunt me for the rest of my life. It was shocking to someone who lived such a peaceful existence.

Hedges must have PTSD. I know I do after reading his contribution to the flaming heap of anti-war literature. But I am not holding my breath for an enlightened alien abduction, and I am sure I would get lonely all alone in a hut in the forest (give me a year and come and check on me).

I think that humanity can be that species that attains a non-violent state. How alien would that be on a planet where war is waged continuously? I am sure it can be done.

The author of this book and I agree on how to achieve non-violence, and indeed it seems like the only answer. That answer is love. We need more love than anything else. Never mind more stuff, that is why we have war in the first place. We need more love.

Lots and lots of love. It's free - we should be spreading that stuff around. It is the antidote to hate.

I am sure lots of perfectly nice aliens would feel comfortable beaming down to Planet Love.

Consume Like No One's Watching

Yesterday I had a little solo jam session and sang like no one was listening. I got lost in it. Accompanying myself on guitar I belted out tune after tune like I never have before. The music flowed, bliss followed. It was liberating.

My experience made me think of a popular quote that recommends we do things as if no one was around, relieved of all potential negative social pressures. It made me wonder how people would do things differently if unafraid of being bludgeoned by the hammer of groupthink.

What if we did everything like no one was watching? Would we dress differently? Would we go to work less? Be creative more? Would we travel as much? Would we consume less?

A recent study shows how seeing the "visible assets" (stuff) of others can affect our own consumption habits. Unsurprisingly, conspicuous consumption can be contagious. Once infected, one feels great social pressure to consume, even if a huge debt load and bankruptcy is the result.

The research showed that people feel compelled to increase their own spending when they see physical evidence of exorbitant spending by neighbours with newly acquired wealth. Rather than looking on their neighbours situation as a precautionary tale, we try to "keep up". For a variety of reasons, that is harder to do these days.

Never mind the Jones', most people today are finding it challenge enough to keep up with the Simpsons. But liberation and bliss are only one decision away, and that decision is to consume like no one is watching.

What Jones'? They aren't real, but subtle and not-so-subtle consumer arm twisting definitely is, from grade school to the adults in your very neighbourhood.

Be forewarned - the pressure is massive and opting out of the material competition has always been difficult. In 1899 Thorstein Veblen, American economist and sociologist, stated in The Theory of The Leisure Class that “the failure to consume in due quantity and quality becomes a mark of inferiority and demerit. This applies particularly to food, drinks, narcotics, shelter and feasting”.

Conversely, the rewards are great.  Liberate yourself like no one's watching.

Consumerism Funds War

In 2012 global military spending amounted to over 1.7 trillion dollars. 

Consumers buying stuff eventually leads to politicians buying bombs.

As our money trickles up it provides the capital necessary to fund war. War on Terror, War on Drugs, War on The Environment. War on Human Rights.

Everything except a War on Poverty or Corruption or Greed. Or Ignorance.

Even the country I currently live in (Canada), a nation once known for international peace keeping, is getting in on killing things.

Our lack of climate change leadership is killing the atmosphere. Our military planes are dropping bombs in the Middle East killing everything on which they fall.

Through a long serpentine route our money funds multiple wars on people and other living things.

Consumerism itself amounts to a war on the planet and all its inhabitants.

Want to stop all this needless warmongering? Aside from a tax revolt, stop buying stuff you don't need.

A Consumer By Any Other Name

Since the 1970s we are increasingly called Consumers rather than Citizens,
and it makes a big difference in how we feel and act.

What’s in a name? That which we call a Consumer by any other name would spend just as much.

I know not how to tell thee who I am.

The name consumer, dear reader, is hateful to myself because it is an enemy to so many.

Had I written it I would tear the word.

With apologies to William Shakespeare, today I consider what it means to be labeled a Consumer.

Maybe you noticed how in the past few decades we have all gone from being Citizens to being Consumers. Since the 1970s the term 'consumer' has outstripped 'citizen' and its use is still on the rise.

The changeover was made official in my own country recently during the speech from the throne when the Canadian government chose the term to refer to its Citizens.

In the speech the government vowed to protect Canadian Consumers (not citizens) and said, “When Canadians make decisions about how to spend their money, they must be assured of a voice, a choice, and fair treatment." (emphasis is mine)

Wow - thanks but I really would rather be known as a Citizen and be assured a voice, a choice, and fair treatment when I try to participate in making this a better country for all. Instead I risk being put on the government's well-documented "Enemy List".

So please do not call me a Consumer. I am a Citizen.

A Citizen is someone that takes an active role in their community. Citizens enjoy the care and protection of their governments, and are granted certain rights and privileges by the state.

Consumers on the other hand, buy stuff. They take an active role in the marketplace while fulfilling their needs, wants, dreams, desires, cravings, and fantasies. Consumers do not enjoy the care and protection of anyone because in the marketplace it is "buyer beware".

The only rights and privileges consumers have is the right to credit, and the privilege to buy more than they need.

Consumers are only concerned with the price of things, while Citizens want to know about their value. Consumers compete, while Citizens cooperate.

Psychological research has shown that economic terms such as 'consumer' are associated with behaviours showing lower environmental concern and conservation behaviour, greater competitiveness and profit-seeking, and lower well-being.

In the eyes of our pro-business governments, Citizens are money takers, while Consumers are money makers. Citizens are demanding while Consumers are placated.

Today Consumers are being referred to by many other names, and none of them are very flattering.

Synonyms For Consumer

• Cashholes
• Purchasebots
• Buying Drones
• Spendoids
• Shoppertrons
• Wallet Mongers
• Money Grunts
• Shopaholics

Being called a Consumer by the very government that ignores my active role as a participating Citizen is insulting and demeaning.

In the future please refer to me as a citizen, a person, a comrade, or even a dude, but please don't call me a Consumer.

Making Choices Monday

We are free to make the right choice.